Prayer, Potions, and DPS Boosts: How Multipliers Stack in OSRS

In Old School RuneScape, boosting your damage isn’t just about max hit or weapon speed. The real power comes from stacking multipliers—potions that raise your levels, prayers that multiply those stats, and gear or Slayer bonuses that stack on top.

Knowing how these effects combine is the difference between average output and top-tier DPS. This guide breaks down the order of operations so you can plan your setups for maximum efficiency.

Why Stacking Multipliers Matters

In Old School RuneScape, DPS isn’t just about your combat level or weapon choice. The real power comes from layering boosts: potions that raise your stats, prayers that multiply them, and gear bonuses that stack on top.

Understanding this order of operations is the key to unlocking your maximum damage per second (DPS) in both PvM and PvP. The OSRS DPS Calculator is perfect for players who love efficiency and accuracy.

How Potions Affect Your Stats

Potions are the foundation of stacking. They raise your base combat levels, which then become the input for prayer multipliers.

• Super Strength: +5 Strength levels + 15% of base.
• Super Attack: +5 Attack levels + 15% of base.
• Ranging Potion: +4 Ranged levels + 10% of base.
• Magic Potion: +4 Magic levels.

For a clearer idea of how these boosts impact real combat, you can run setups through the weapon damage calculator.

How Prayers Multiply Potion Boosts

Combat prayers don’t replace potion boosts—they multiply them. After potions raise your effective stat, prayers apply percentage increases.

• Piety: +20% Attack, +20% Strength, +25% Defence.
• Rigour: +20% Ranged Attack, +20% Ranged Strength, +25% Defence.
• Augury: +25% Magic Attack, +25% Magic Defence.

Continuing the earlier example: 114 Strength from a potion becomes 136 Strength when Piety is activated.

Gear and Task Bonuses on Top

Once potion and prayer multipliers are applied, gear and situational boosts stack multiplicatively:

• Slayer Helmet / Black Mask: +15% Attack and Strength (on task).
• Salve Amulet (ei): +20% Attack and Strength vs undead.
• Void Knight Set: +10–12.5% damage and accuracy depending on style.
• Dragon Hunter Crossbow/Lance: +20% vs dragons.

To maximize prayer benefits, consult the OSRS Prayer Boost Calculator before combat.

Order of Operations in DPS Stacking

The sequence is always:

1. Base combat stat (e.g., 99 Strength).
2. Apply potion boosts.
3. Multiply by prayer bonuses.
4. Multiply by gear/task multipliers (Slayer, Salve, Void, Dragon Hunter, etc.).
5. Factor in weapon speed and hit chance for final DPS.

👉 Example calculation (simplified):

Stage	Strength Level	Multiplier	Result
Base	99	–	99
Potion	+15% + 5	–	114
Prayer	Piety +20%	×1.20	136
Gear	Slayer Helm	×1.15	156
Final	Effective Strength used in max hit/DPS formulas	–	156

Practical Examples

• Slayer Task: Super Strength + Piety + Slayer Helm = massive efficiency boost, often cutting task time by 20–30%.
• Bossing: Void + Rigour + Ranging Potion = essential setup for blowpipe or crossbow DPS. For boss fights specifically, you can test variations in the boss DPS calculator.
• PvP: Flicking Piety with Super Strength and spec weapons creates deadly burst potential.

FAQs

Do potions and prayers stack in OSRS?
Yes. Potions raise your base stats first, and prayers multiply the boosted value.

Do Slayer Helm and Salve Amulet stack together?
No, they are mutually exclusive. You can only use one.

Which prayer gives the biggest DPS boost?
For melee, Piety. For ranged, Rigour. For magic, Augury.

Is the order always potion → prayer → gear?
Yes, that’s how Jagex’s formulas calculate effective combat levels.

Do overhits count these boosts?
Yes. Your boosted stats are always used in the damage roll, even if the hit is higher than enemy HP.